Coal Ministry

Govt plans to auction offshore mineral blocks in 2-3 months: G Kishan Reddy

The government is planning to begin the auction of offshore mineral blocks in the next two to three months and around 10 such mines are likely to be auctioned in the first phase, coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy said on Thursday. The government amended the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, to provide an auction route for awarding production leases for offshore minerals. Offshore minerals are located deep within the earth's crust and are difficult to extract compared to onshore minerals. Speaking to media after the inauguration of mines ministry pavilion at India International Trade Fair, Reddy said the government plans "to auction offshore minerals blocks in two to three months". India's offshore mineral reserves include gold, diamond, copper, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements. The offshore auctions will help increase the availability of these minerals in India and reduce dependence on imports. The minister further said

India's coal import rose 8% to 140.6 MT in H1, demand likely to stay modest

India's coal import rose by 7.8 per cent to 140.60 million tonne (MT) in the April-September period of the ongoing financial year. The country's coal import was 130.34 MT in the year-ago period, according to data compiled by B2B e-commerce company mjunction services ltd. Overall, coal import demand is likely to remain modest due to the healthy stock position and high volumes being offered through spot e-auctions in the domestic market, mjunction MD and CEO Vinaya Varma said. Coal import in September dropped by 10.09 per cent to 19.42 MT from 21.60 MT in the corresponding month of previous fiscal. Of the total imports in September, non-coking coal volume was 13.24 MT, against 14.88 MT in the year-ago month. Coking coal import stood at 3.39 MT, against 4.59 MT a year ago. During the April-September period, non-coking coal import was at 91.92 MT, higher than 83.45 MT imported during the same period last year. Coking coal import was at 28.18 MT as against 29.44 MT. "There was a slig

Coal ministry 'optimistic' about achieving production target of over 170 MT

The government on Saturday expressed optimism that it will achieve the production target of more than 170 million tonnes from captive and commercial coal blocks in the ongoing fiscal year. The production from captive, commercial mines from April 1 to November rose 33 per cent to 100.08 MT over 75.05 MT in the year-ago period, the coal ministry said in a statement. The total dispatch from captive, commercial coal mines during the period rose to 107.81 MT from 80.23 MT, it said. "The coal ministry is optimistic about reaching a production target of more than 170 million tonnes from captive and commercial coal blocks in 2024-25," the statement said. "The share of captive and commercial coal mines in India's total coal production has been steadily increasing, reflecting the success of reforms in the coal sector and strengthening the nation's path toward self-sufficiency in energy resources," it added.

Coal Minister urges CIL to boost production and reduce import reliance

State-owned CIL's priorities should be to ramp up production of coal and scale up supplies to reduce imports, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has said. Coal India Ltd (CIL) accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output. Speaking at CIL's 50th Foundation Day on Sunday, the minister stressed upon the importance of miners' welfare and the rehabilitation of communities affected by mine closures. "Contractual workers play a significant role in Coal India's output, and I applaud the management's decision to implement Performance Linked Incentives for them, effective FY 2023-24," he was quoted as saying in a coal ministry statement. The launch of commercial coal mining has led to transparency, ease of doing business and investment opportunities, helping open the coal sector. Exuding confidence in CIL, he stated that the company has the competency and commitment to compete in the current open market scenario. While coal will remain a central component of the country's energy landsc

Coal, Power ministries plan winter coordination to prevent power shortages

While summer marks peak power demand across the country, with aggregate demand going beyond 250 GW on some days this year, winter highs also need to be watched

India to have a coal exchange soon, says Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy

Reddy also highlighted the need to decrease coal imports. "We are increasing coal production in view of the rise in imports over the past two months," he said

Senior IAS officer Vikram Dev Dutt assumes charge as new coal secretary

Vikram Dev Dutt on Monday assumed the charge as the coal secretary. Dutt succeeds V L Kantha Rao who currently serves as the mines secretary. Dutt, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre, earlier served as the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the coal ministry said in a statement. Prior to Rao, Amrit Lal Meena served as the coal secretary. Meena was repatriated to his home cadre Bihar, where he was appointed as the chief secretary. Meena is a 1989-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had approved Meena's repatriation to his parent cadre on the request of the Bihar government, said a personnel ministry order dated August 30.

Kishan Reddy flags off Secunderabad-Vasco Da Gama biweekly express

Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy flagged off the Secunderabad-Vasco Da Gama inaugural Express at the Secunderabad railway station here on Sunday. Pointing to the long pending demand for an exclusive train to Goa from Hyderabad, he said the express train to Vasco Da Gama is being operated from Secunderabad twice a week, fulfilling people's wishes. The service provides travel options for the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to visit Goa and it also caters to the requirements of those who wish to travel to major cities of Karnataka like Ballari, Hospet, Hubbali and Dharwad, he said. Highlighting railway development works in Telangana, Reddy said the Secunderabad railway station is being redeveloped with world-class standards at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crores and that the works are expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The Secunderabad station stands second after the New Delhi railway station in operating the highest number of Vande Bharat Express services,

Coal imports rise marginally by 0.9% to 90.51 MT in Apr-Jul of FY25

There is a "critical need" for coal imports, and the country has reported a marginal rise of 0.9 per cent to 90.51 mt in the April-July period of FY25, according to an official statement. India, which has the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, is also its second-largest consumer, driven by a rapidly growing economy, Ministry of Coal said on Wednesday. Coal production during the April-July FY25 period increased 9.56 per cent to 321.40 MT from 293.35 MT in FY24. "However, the current consumption landscape reveals a critical need for imports, particularly for coking coal and high-grade thermal coal, which are not sufficiently available within domestic reserves. This shortfall necessitates imports to support key industries, including steel," it said. According to the ministry, coal imports during April-July period of FY25 reported a marginal increase of 0.9 per cent, reaching 90.51 million tonnes (MT) level compared to 89.68 MT in the previous year. While the non-coking coal ..

Coal supply to power sector falls 5.4% to 58.07 mn tonnes in August

Coal supply to the power sector in August dropped 5.4 per cent to 58.07 million tonnes (MT) as compared to the year-ago period, according to an official statement on Tuesday. The supply of coal to the power sector was 61.43 MT in August of the previous fiscal year. "In August 2024, the supply to the power sector was 58.07 MT, slightly lower than the 61.43 MT recorded in August 2023," the coal ministry said in a statement. Coal supply to the power sector remains a key priority, the ministry said. Between April and August this fiscal year, supply to the power sector reached 338.75 MT, registering a growth of 4.13 per cent over the 325.33 MT supplied during the year-ago period. In terms of coal supply across the country during the April to August 2024, it stood at 412.69 MT, with an increase of 5.17 per cent compared to 392.40 MT during the corresponding period of the last financial year. In August, however, coal supply fell slightly to 69.94 MT, compared to 75.19 MT in August of t

NLC India aims to start early mining of Odisha's Machhakata coal block

State-owned NLC India Ltd is aiming to start the mining of Machhakata coal block in Odisha ahead of schedule. Machhakata coal block is the second commercial coal block and the biggest among the NLCIL's mining projects. NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) had emerged as the successful bidder for Machhakata (Revised) coal block in Angul district of Odisha under the commercial coal block e-auction held in July. The Machhakata coal block, having reserves of 1.4 billion tonnes (BT), with average Grade of G10-G11, and capacity of 30 MTPA, is expected to be one among the top five biggest mines in the country, NLCIL said in a statement. "NLCIL aims to commence the mining ahead of schedule. This marks another milestone towards realising NLCIL's Corporate Plan 2030," the statement added. Machhakata Coal Block's vesting order was issued on Thursday. The company had earlier said that it is committed to its capacity addition in line with its vision of achieving more than 100 million tonnes per annum (MTPA)

Coal production increases by 6.69% to 74.07 mn tonnes in July: Govt

India's coal output rose by 6.69 per cent year-on-year to 74.07 million tonnes (MT) in July, the government said on Thursday. The country's coal production was 69.42 MT in the corresponding month of previous fiscal, the coal ministry said in a statement. Cumulative coal dispatch witnessed a significant boost in July 2024, touching 79.54 MT, compared to 76.05 MT recorded in July 2023, registering a growth rate of 4.58 per cent. In a separate statement, the ministry said that vesting orders were issued for 10 strategically important coal mines, marking a significant advancement in the nation's coal production capabilities. This initiative, which includes one fully explored and nine partially explored mines, is set to enhance energy security and drive economic growth across the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, it said. Coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy urged the successful bidders to focus on increasing coal production and reducing imports.

Coal production from captive, commercial coal mines grow by 35% in Apr-Jun

The government on Wednesday said that coal production from the captive and commercial coal mines grew by 35 per cent to 39.53 million tonnes (MT) in the first quarter of this fiscal. The coal production from captive and commercial coal mines was 29.26 MT in the first quarter of FY24. "Similarly, dispatch has shown a growth of 34.25 per cent YoY, from 34.07 MT in Q1 of FY24 to 45.68 MT in Q1 of FY25," the coal ministry said in a statement. The coal output for the power sector has seen a substantial increase, rising from 25.02 MT in the first quarter of last year to 30.16 MT in the first quarter of this year, marking a 20.5 per cent year-on-year growth. The government said that it remains firmly committed to assisting all coal block allottees to overcome challenges and optimise their operations. The primary goal of the coal ministry is to significantly augment coal production, ensuring a consistent and reliable supply to meet the nations' escalating energy needs. "Through collabora

'Growth in coal imports down from over 21% to below 2.5% in last decade'

The government on Friday said the annual growth in India's coal imports has declined to just 2.49 per cent in the past decade until FY24 as the country moves towards becoming self-reliant in energy security. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of coal imports from 2004-05 to 2013-14 stood significantly at 21.48 per cent. However, the CAGR of coal import from 2014-15 to 2023-24 stood at 2.49 per cent only, the coal ministry said in a statement. "Moreover, CAGR of imported coal share stood at 13.94 per cent during the period from fiscal year 2004-05 to 2013-14 while the same figure plummeted to around -2.29 per cent" during the last decade, it said. With strategic focus on optimising indigenous coal resources and leveraging innovative technological solutions, India continues its journey towards self-reliance in energy security of the nation, the statement said. India, endowed with the fifth-largest coal reserves globally, stands as the second-largest consumer of dry fuel, it adde

Union Minister Reddy launches 10th round of commercial coal mine auction

The move will enhance domestic coal production and ensure energy security for the nation, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Coal

Modi govt 3.0 Cabinet: G Kishan Reddy gets coals and mines ministry

With the sector witnessing huge demand, it will be crucial for Reddy to navigate Centre-state relations in mineral mining and build international relations for the critical minerals supply chain

Sampling, grading of coal at 427 mines completed; to be applicable for FY24

The coal ministry on Wednesday said it has completed the annual exercise of sampling and grading of coal at 427 mines and the new fuel grade will be applicable from April 1 this year. Of the total 427 mines, 331 are central public sector units, 69 under state governments and 27 private sector mines, the coal ministry said in a statement. "To ensure the correctness of the grade, the samples drawn were analyzed in two different labs," it added. The ministry further said, the process of "declaration of annual grading of seams of mines as per laid down procedure has been completed" and the declared grade will be applicable with effect from April 1, 2024. The Coal Controller's Organisation (CCO), having its field offices at Dhanbad, Ranchi, Bilaspur, Nagpur, Sambalpur, and Kothagudem, carried out the exercise of drawing the coal samples and its analysis from coal and lignite mines for the ongoing financial year. CCO, a subordinate office of the coal ministry, lays down the procedure an

Coal, lignite production hits all-time high of 1 bn tonnes in FY24: Joshi

The country has for the first time crossed the milestone of 1 billion tonnes of coal and lignite production in the financial year 2023-24, Union Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday. India's total coal and lignite output was at 937 million tonnes (MT) in the preceding 2022-23 fiscal, as per official figures. "Proud to share that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, we have registered a stellar achievement by crossing 1 billion tonne (BT) coal and lignite production," Joshi said. It is a historic moment for India as the country has achieved the highest-ever production, and it will go a long way in ensuring energy security to the nation. The continuous efforts to increase domestic coal production has ensured that going forward the country will never have to face coal shortage, the minister said. Joshi further said, "I thank the officials of the sector, all the coal warriors and private miners for their grit and hard work in helping achieve mission-1BT. Owing to y

Summer ready: Railways draws up plan to ease coal transportation

The ministry will rely extensively on EDFC between Punjab and Bihar

Ministries test the AI waters: Try out use cases in bid to reduce workload

'A case study is being carried out across ministries by a dedicated wing which consists of experts to figure out the AI use cases under AI mission,' a senior government official said